You can have a perfectly designed QR code and still get few scans if it's in the wrong place. Placement is one of the most overlooked levers in post-purchase marketing. Here's where QR codes perform best.
On the product beats in the box
A loose insert card gets glanced at once and tossed. A QR code on the product itself — the lid, the front, the label — stays with the customer through every use, creating repeated opportunities to scan. This on-product placement is a key reason covered stickers see 20%+ scan rates.
Find the "dead space"
Most products have unused real estate — a blank area on the front of a pouch, the top of a lid, a clean section of a label. Placing a high-contrast QR sticker in that dead space makes it visible without disrupting your packaging design.
Eye-level and front-facing
Where possible, put the code where the customer naturally looks: the front of the product, near eye level, not hidden on the bottom or back.
Make it part of the unboxing moment
Peel-to-reveal stickers add a small moment of delight to unboxing — and that interaction drives scans. The act of peeling primes the customer to engage with what's underneath.
Marketplace compliance
On Amazon, use a covered code (not an exposed one), keep the destination and incentive compliant, and avoid anything that diverts customer service off-platform.
Test and iterate
Placement isn't one-size-fits-all. Test a couple of locations and compare scan rates — small changes in position can meaningfully move results.
How Swapt helps
Swapt advises on optimal placement for your specific product and supplies covered, on-product stickers designed to maximize scans wherever they live.
Own the relationship with every customer.
Swapt captures your marketplace customers and turns one-time orders into lifetime value — compliantly.